This type of lighting equipment, for example, a vehicular lighting equipment, is mainly comprised of a lighting equipment body formed into the shape of a container with an open front, a lamp unit having a light source (lamp) attached to the lighting equipment body, and a lamp cover (or outer lens) attached to the front opening of the lighting equipment body.
The lamp unit is sometimes provided with a main reflector for condensing or diffusing light from the light source to obtain desired light distribution characteristics.
Further, in a vehicular lighting equipment, a large space is formed between the lamp unit and the lighting equipment body, so if viewing the lighting equipment from the outside, there is the problem in appearance that it is possible to see all the way back to the rear aiming mechanism. Therefore, to make the entire light chamber appear mirror-like so as to improve the appearance, sometimes an extension reflector given a mirror finish is provided from the area surrounding the reflector of the lamp unit to the front opening of the lighting equipment body.
As a conventional reflector, there is known one comprised of a metal or glass mirror superior in reflection characteristics. With a metal reflector, however, the weight is heavy, the handling is difficult, and it is difficult to work the metal into a complicated shape such as a vehicular extension reflector. With a glass reflector, further, the weight is heavy, the reflector easily breaks, and it is difficult to form the glass into a complicated shape.
Therefore, recently, reflectors have been proposed which are obtained by using a synthetic resin as the substrate of the reflector and coating the surface of the substrate with a reflecting layer. In particular, German Offenlegung 19,540,414 discloses a reflector, though not for a vehicular application, which is obtained by coating the surface of a substrate comprised of an addition copolymer of a norbornene and ethylene with a dielectric film.
The reflector disclosed in that publication, however, had the problem of low reflection characteristics of light since a dielectric film was coated on the surface of the substrate.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-242754 describes that a resin comprised of a resin composition containing a thermoplastic norbornene-based resin, polyallylene sulfide, and inorganic filler with a specific heat deformation temperature can also be used for vehicular reflector applications.
This publication, however, only discloses that a thermoplastic norbornene-based resin can also be used for a reflector application. It is not certain if sufficient reflection characteristics are exhibited when actually used as a reflector.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-313056 describes that a molded article obtained by forming an organic siloxane-based hard coat layer via a primer layer on the surface of a molded article comprised of a norbornene-based ring-opening polymer can also be used for a vehicular lens application.
This publication, however, merely discloses that a molded article comprised of a norbornene-based ring-opening polymer can also be used for a lens application. It is not certain if there is an effect of prevention of white turbidity in a high temperature, high humidity environment when actually used for a lens.